Switch



United. rates Patent SWITCH Jasper Long, Sturgis, Miciu, assignor t0 Wade Electric Products Co., fiturgils, Mich, a corporation of Application September 18, 1956, Serial No. 610,582

17 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) electrical switch embodying improved means for connecting the several parts in order to simplify and facilitate manufacture of the switch assembly.

It is another object of the invention to provide an electrical switch having an improved moving contact construction.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved stationary terminal construction for switches or the like.

It is still another important object of the invention to provide an improved switch which is rugged in construction, reliable in operation and which may be economic-shy manufactured and assembled on a production basis.

The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be appa'ent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment .of one form of the present invention, which is an automotive switch for controlling the back-up lights, is clearly shown.

in the drawings:

Figure l is a front view of a switch embodying the present invention taken from the terminal side;

.Fig. 2 is an'enlarged vertical section taken on the line Z2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, viewed in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view or: certain parts of the structure in circle 4 shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a front View of the mounting bracket with the housing and associated parts removed;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a front view of the slide with the bridging means removed;

Pig. 8 is a side view of the slide;

Fig. 9 is a front view of the insulative housing with the stationary contacts or terminals removed;

Fig. 10 is a back view of the insnlative housing of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the contact bridging means;

Fig. shown 12 is .a view taken from the left of the structure in Fig. ll;

Fig. 13 is a section on tine 1313 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 14- is a partial section snowing how the terminal is snapped into the housing;

Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the terminal;

Fig. 16 is a plan view of the terminal;

Fig. 17 is a view taken taken from the left of Fig. 16; and

Fig. 18 is a partial plan view of the blank from which the terminal or Figs. 1517 is formed.

terial is shown v.

In accordance with the present invention there is pro vided an electrical switch which is particularly suited for mounting on the steering column of an automotive vehicle and adapted to be actuated by the transmission gear shifting assembly for controlling the backup lights on such vehicles. The switch generally comprises a housing carryin stationary contacts or terminals, a mounting bracket for the housing, a slide movable in the housing, and conductive bridging means or contacts carried by the slide adapted to interconnect or disconnect the stationary contacts. An example of the type of actuating mechanism with which the switch assembly of the present invention may be employed is shown and described in the copending application of Harley M. Nev/comb, Serial No. 475,439, filed December 15, i954, assigned to the assignee hereof.

Referring now to the stru ture in detail, there is shown a metal mounting b ct generaiiy designated 15 having end portions 1'7 and i which are cent into an arcunte shape so as to adapt the switch for mounting on the steering column of an automobile. The bracket 15 is especially suited for fOll r from a blank of sheet metal. Holes 23., in th i7, i9 respectively, are punched in tl so as to provide means for mounting the bracket to tie supporting structure where the switch to b used. The bracket has tangs 25, 2'7, 29 shed through the metal ng a switch housing 31 The body portion 'is the housing 33 of the mounting brac e The housing 31 is m d from a suitall piastic ma ociated parts rer yet in Figs.

9 and 10. The housing 31 has ta portions 47, 29, 51 molded integral with the ho .sing the bent-over circuit, the manner i Lli'l-?tl3 57 nd 69 are mounted in the he sing discus i hereinafter.

The slide mechani. n 45 includes a slide block 94 which carries the coil spring )5 and the contact bridging means 97 which provide the movable contacts. The slide block 94- has four pins or embossnrents 83, 85, 87, 89 which are molded integral with the slide block and present round bottom bosses on each side of the slide block at substantially the corners to enable it to siide within the housin" 31 with a minimum of friction and to prevent tilting of the slide during its movement in recess 61 within the housing 31. The switch arm 43 is molded integral with the slide block 94 and has a metal casing 91 surrounding the same so that it can be operatively connected in a durable manner to a suitable operating member such as that shown in the copending case or known to those familiar with present day automobiles. The slide block 94 has formed therein a cavity 93 for receiving the spring 95 which forces the slide block 94 against the mounting bracket 15 and the contact bridge 97 against the stationary contacts or terminals. The contact bridge has rounded contacting bosses 1G1, 103 formed thereon which ride on the bottom of recess 61 and when in a predetermined position serve to electrically connect the stationary terminals or contacts 69, 67; in other positions (e. g. the position of Fig. 2) they do not contact the contacts and the switch is open. As indicated, the bosses 101 and 103 function to keep the flat surface 102 of the bridge 97 away from the stationary contacts 67 and 69 and project out from it by a distance which is preferably slightly greater than the thickness of the stock from which contacts 67 and 69 are formed.

The bridge 97 has end portions 105, 107 bent outwardly from the contact bosses 101, 103 and formed on these end portions are sheared-out tangs or lugs 109, 111, respectively, which serve to retain the bridge in the slide block 94 in a novel manner to be presently described. The slide block 94 has molded therein apertures 113, 115 for receiving the end portions 105, 107 of the bridging means 97. The apertures 113, 115 in the slide block 94 have shoulder portions 117, 119 formed at the entrance or forward end of these apertures. The shoulder portions are defined by the intersection of rectangular recesses 121 and the bottoms of holes 113 and 115 all of which are formed simultaneously in the molding process by means of a simple mold using axially extending core pins. The end portions 105, 107 of the bridging means 97 project into the apertures 113, 115 and the tangs 109, 111 snap over and engage the shoulder portions 117, 119, respectively, and serve to retain the bridging means 97 in place on the slide block 94. The tangs 109 and 111 and the shoulders 117 and 119 are so located that when the tangs are seated on the shoulders the bosses 101 and 103 project a substantial distance beyond the bosses 83, 85, 87, and 89 so that when the slide mechanism 45 is in place in the housing and all the bosses are sliding on the bottom of recess 61 the tangs will be spaced from the shoulders 117 and 119. The tangs and sides 105 and 107 are also spaced from the walls of the holes in which they project and it will be seen that this feature plus the unseating of tangs 109 and 111 permits the bridge 97 to rock a slight amount about the spring 95 as a sort of pivot, thus providing good contact and make and break action.

It can be seen that the slide block by the construction described can be cheaply made because each of the apertures and recesses in the slide block can be formed from core members which project from the front and back into the mold cavity during the molding of the slide block and can be readily withdrawn after the molding of the slide block is completed. Attention is also directed to the fact that this improved manner of aflixing the bridge to the slide block greatly simplifies assembly as it only needs to be snapped into place and the spring 95 cannot escape even though it is under compression.

Heretofore, it has been a very difiicult and annoying task to retain the several parts together especially where small springs are involved and usually several attempts and several lost springs were required for each assembly of bridge and block. With the present construction a unitary subassembly can be formed consisting of the bridge, the slide block, and the spring.

A second resilient means in the form of a compression spring 123 operates within one end of the recess 61 of the housing 31 to bias slide 94 and is slipped over a flat sided depending guide post portion 125 molded integral with the slide block 94, the other end fitting in cavity 126 in the housing 31. The post 125 is very helpful in keeping the spring 123 in place in the recess 61 during assembly and in preventing it from flying out before assembly is completed.

The stationary contacts'67 and 69 are secured in housing 31 in a novel manner which substantially reduces the cost of manufacture. It will be understood that they are disposed on the particular angles shown in order to fit in the connector socket provided for them in the electrical system of the automobile on which the switch is to be used and that other arrangements can be used. The contacts 67 and 69 are identical and the snap-in connection of each with the housing 31 is thesame sothat 4 I only one need be described in detail. Referring then to contact 67 and the manner of'connecting it to housing 31, the contact is formed from a fiat blank of suitable conductive metal such as .032" brass. The free end is provided with whatever shape is desired such as the bevel 151, the cutouts 153, and the detent receiving hole 155. In accordance with this invention the metal is sheared along lines 157 and side cutouts 159 are made in the blank (see Fig. 18). The tabs or side tongues 161 defined by the shear lines 157 are coined on a taper to about one half thickness at the free'end as clearly shown in Figs. 14 and 15 and bent up at an angle to the plane of the terminal so that the free end thereof is spaced above the blank by about the thickness of the metal. The semi-circular end portion 163 is also bent up in the same direction along line 165 so that it makes an angle of about with the plane of the blank as also seen in Figs. 14 and 15, there being a gap 159' between the ends of tongues 161 and the heel or flange 163. It will be appreciated that in coining the tongues 161 will elongate so that cutouts 159 are made large enough to result in the final gap 159' of predetermined length. Also, if there is a tendency for the tongues to Widen, the blank will be formed with inwardly tapered sides so that after coining the outside edges of the tongues will be in line with the sides of the spade portion. The contact 67 is inserted, bevel end 151 first, from the back (recess 61 side) of housing 31 into a slot-like opening 165, the coined spring tongues 161 being cammed back down substantially into the plane of the contact during this insertion as the slot 165 is only slightly (approximately .005) wider than the thickness of the metal. Around the slot 165 as a diameter is formed a semicircular counterbore 167 in which flange 163 fits, the depth of the counterbore being the same as the thickness of the contact metal. Coming in from the outside or front of the housing are two side apertures 169 which terminate from the bottom of counterbore 169 by a distance substantially the same as the length of gap 159 and provide shoulders 171 over which the coined tongues 161 snap when the flange 163 is home in recess 167. In order to snap the tongues 161 behind the shoulders 171 the flange 163 will bend toward or to from its original 85 position and the contact will therefore tightly grip the housing sections 173 to hold the contact snugly in place. Thus, the contact 67 is quickly put in place but firmly held in position. Coining of tongues 161 is important as it work hardens them so that they will spring back and seat tightly in apertures 169. It will be appreciated that the flange 163 can also be coined if needed to improve its resiliency and avoid permanent set. It is also to be noted that the slot 165, counterbore 167, and apertures 169 are all arranged so that they can be molded readily permitting the housing 31 to be formed in a simple mold with axially extending core pins.

Although other actuating means may be employed, the present switch is particularly adapted for actuation by the automatic transmission gear shifting assembly of a vehicle and certain parts of the transmission gear shifting assembly are disposed so as to actuate the switch arm 43 attached to the slide mechanism 45 and to move it toward one end of the recess 61 of the switch housing 31 against the resistance of the spring 123. The slide 94 moves with a minimum of friction and without danger of tilting by virtue of the plurality of rounded bosses against the resistance of the firmly secured spring 123. The bridge 97 is biased toward the stationary contacts 67 and 69 so that the contacting bosses 101, 103 thereon bridge and connect the stationary contacts 69, 67 when the transmission shifting assembly is in the reverse position to energize the back-up lights on the vehicle. In other positions of the automatic transmission gear shifting assembly the stationary contacts are not bridged and the back-up lights are not energized.

means in said housin While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications, changes in size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical switch including a housing, contact means connected to said housing, actuated means including a slide block of insulating material slidably carried by said housing and having recesses therein, yieldably mounted bridging means carried by said slide block so as to slidably engage said contact means, said bridging means having snap-in detent means protruding into said recesses, shoulder means on said slide block for cooperating with said detent means to insure retention of said bridging means on said slide block, and a coil spring carried by said block and pressing against said bridging means in opposition to said detent means to bias the detent means toward engagement with the shoulder means.

2. An electrical switch comprising a housing, contact a slide block of insulating mate rial slidably carried by said housing having open-ended recesses including shoulder portions therein in line with said recesses, bridging means carried by said slide block so as to slidably engage said contact means, said bridging means having snap-in means including inturned side portions and transversely projecting tangs on said side portions, said side portions protruding into said recesses, and resilient means carried by said slide block biasing said bridging means so that said projecting tangs seat on said shoulder portions to insure retention of said bridging means on said slide block.

3. An electrical switch comprising a housing with contact means, a slide block of insulating material disposed in said housing and arranged to move back and forth therein, said slide block having a pair of open-ended apertures with the bottoms thereof providing shoulder portions, bridging means carried by said slide block so as to slidably engage said contact means, said bridging means having snap-in means including a pair of inturned side portions and transversely projecting tangs on said side portions, said side portions protruding into said apertures so that said tangs cooperate with said shoulder portions to insure retention of said bridging means on i said slide block, resilient means disposed in said slide block biasing said bridging means toward said contact means and said slide block away from said contact means, and spring means in said housing fitting on a post on said slide block and biasing said slide block to ward one end of said housing.

4. An electrical switch including a housing with contact means, actuated means including a slide block of insulating material slidably carried by said housing and having open-ended recesses therein, bridging means carried by said slide block so as to slidably engage said contact means, said bridging means having s nap-in means including struck out tangs protruding into said recesses, a coil spring seated in said slide block and engaging said bridging means and biasing said bridging means away from said slide block in opposition to said snap-in means, and shoulder means on said slide block cooperating with said snap-in means to retain said bridging means atfixed to said slide block, in operation said tangs being unseated from said shoulder means whereby said bridging means can rock on said slide.

5. An electrical switch including a housing having a wall defining a chamber, a mounting bracket affixed to said housing having a body portion forming another wall of said chamber, contact means in said housing, a slide block of insulating material slidably carried in said chamber, a plurality of rounded bosses on said slide block disposed to slidably contact said housing walls and said bracket body portion, said slide block having apertures forming shoulder portions, 2. metal bridge carried by said slide block so as to slidably engage said contact means, said bridging means having snap-in means protruding into said apertures, resilient means carried by said slide block biasing said bridge and said snap-in means away from said slide block, said snap-in means and said shoulder portions cooperating to insure retention of said bridging means on said slide block, spring means in said chamber mounted on a post on said slide biasing said slide block toward one end of said chamber, and means operative to move said slide block against the resistance of said spring means toward the other end of said chamber.

6. In an electrical switch, a stationary contact means, actuated means comprising a slide block of insulating material having recesses including shoulder portions, bridging means carried by said slide block so as to slidably engage said stationary contact means, said bridging means having inturned side portions, and transversely projecting resilient snap-in lugs on said side portions, said side portions protruding into said recesses, resilient means carried by said slide block biasing said bridging means so that said outwardly projecting lugs cooperate with said shoulder portions to insure retention of said bridging means on said slide block, in operative position of said bridging means said lugs being spaced from said shoulder portions and said inturned side portions being transversely movable in said recesses whereby said bridging means can rock relative to said slide block, and means for moving said actuated means.

7. In an electrical connection, a housing formed of insulating material and having a slot extending through it,

an aperture opening along its length into said slot and opening at one end out of one side of the housing, the other end of said aperture terminating within the housing and providing a shoulder extending transversely to the slot, a contact disposed in said slot and having a resilient integral tongue extending at an angle to the slot and engaging said shoulder, and a flange on the contact engaging the side of said housing opposite to said one side.

8. The invention set forth in claim 7 wherein the flange is formed on an angle less than with respect to the plane of the contact lying in said slot.

9. The invention set forth in claim 7 wherein said tongue is coined to a taper so that the free end thereot is approximately half the thickness of the metal from which the contact is formed.

10. The invention set forth in claim 7 wherein the spacing between the free end of the tongue and the flange is less than the distance between said shoulder and the other side of the housing.

11. The invention set forth in claim 10 wherein said flange is formed on an angle less than 90.

12. The invention set forth in claim ll wherein said tongue is coined to a taper toward the free end thereof.

13. The invention set forth in claim 12 wherein said slot and aperture have openings in the side of the housing which are of no less size than any cross section thereof.

14. The invention set forth in claim 13 including a counterbore formed in the other side of the housing and said flange fitting in said counterbore.

15. In an electrical switch, a housing, a pair of spaced slots in said housing provided with transverse shoulders, a pair of contacts mounted in said housing having tongues snapped over said shoulders and flanges engaging the bottom of a recess in the housing and cooperating with the tongues to hold the contacts firmly in position, a slide movable in said recess, a contact bridge carried by said slide and comprising a U-shaped member having the legs thereof fitting in a recess in the slide and tongues thereon snapped over shoulders formed in the slide, and a coil spring in the slide engaging said bridge to urge the bridge to move in a direction to cause the tongues thereof to engage said shoulders, a non-circular retainer post on the slide, a coil spring supported on said post at one end and having its other end engaging a side wall of the recess, said contact bridge being adapted to interconnect the fixed contacts but being urged to a non-connecting position by said spring.

16. In an electrical connection, a metal contact including -a body portion, a cantilever tongue bent down from said body portion and coined on a taper so that the free end thereof is substantially less in thickness than the contact metal, a molded plastic housing having an aperture opening out of a side thereof which is no greater in cross section at any point along its length than at said opening whereby said aperture may be molded by means of an axially extending core pin, said aperture having a transverse shoulder formed at an intermediate point along the length thereof for engagement with the free end of said 15 1,7 74,801

tongue.

17. In an electrical device, an insulator housing having a thin slot through itand a pair of oppositely facing shoulder opening into the slot and spaced from each other along thelength of the slot, a metal spade'terminalin said slot having a sheared out tongue engaging one of said shoulders and a bent over flange engaging the other 7 whereby said spade is firmly held in place by the side walls Crockett Mar. 15, 1927 Macke et al Sept. 2, 1930 Winning May 9, 1933 

